Overstaffing, lack of medicine ail Baitadi health facilities

BY GOKARNA DAYAL,Baitadi, June 19: Health facilities in Baitadi district are facing a serious shortage of essential medicines, while the number of health workers often outnumbers the patients. Among the 84 wards across 10 local levels of the district, 297 permanent health workers are employed, and an additional 271 have been hired on a contract basis.

For example, Hatairaj Health Post in Surnaya Rural Municipality-1 has been without essential medicines for over a month. Out of the eight wards in the municipality, 28 permanent and 15 contract health workers are employed. Despite this staffing, the health post lacks basic fever medicine for children and eye drops distributed during summer, informed in-charge Prakash Chand. 

Only two to three patients visit the health post daily, though it is manned by eight workers.

Similar is the situation at other facilities like Dasharathchand, Tripura, and Dehimandu health posts in Dasharathchand Municipality. 

In many cases, there are more health workers than patients. Dasharathchand Health Post, for instance, doesn’t even have its own building. Most patients prefer to go directly to the nearby district hospital, said in-charge Ghanashyam Bhatt. The municipality has 37 permanent and 38 contract health workers across its 11 wards.

In Dilasaini Rural Municipality-5, Gokuleshwor Health Post sees very low patient numbers despite having 14 staff. In-charge Parshuraj Joshi said that many locals cross the Chamelia River to a hospital in neighbouring Darchula district for treatment.

Maternity centres closed, vaccinations in open 

According to Bipin Lekhak, Information Officer at Baitadi Health Office, although there are 157 birthing centres in addition to 108 other health institutions in the district, only 34 meet required standards, He said that some birthing centres are closed altogether and that, despite having a surplus of staff, quality healthcare services are lacking.

Out of 108 health facilities (including one hospital and two primary health centres), only 71 have access to clean drinking water and toilets. Just 34 meet infrastructure standards, and many vaccination centres operate without proper buildings, forcing staff to vaccinate children in open fields or private homes.

District data show there are one hospital, two primary health centres, 68 health posts, 18 basic health centres, 12 community health units, 10 urban health centres, 305 village clinics, 324 vaccination centres, and 157 birthing centres. Yet, only 75 facilities have 24-hour electricity, 71 have water and sanitation facilities, and just 13 provide ambulance services.

According Lekhak, local governments are spending most of the health budget on hiring staff rather than on essential infrastructure like buildings, medicines, clean drinking water, electricity, or internet services.

 Vaccine Inspector Harish Bhatt warned that vaccinating children in open fields due to lack of proper facilities increases the risk of infection.